Gang-saw mill



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T. S. WIL-KIN. GAG SAW MILL.

Patented Jan. 1

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T. sw'LKN. GANG'SAW MILL.

10.291.251 Patentedaan. 1, 1884.

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T; s WlLKIN GANG` SAW MILL.

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UNITED lSii/iras PATENT miren.

GA NYG-SAW MILL.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,257, dated January 1, 1884 Application filed August 29, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom t may concer/t:

Be it known that I, THEoDonn S. WILKIN, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain Improvements in Gang-Saw Mills, oi' which the following is a specification.

\ As above mentioned, the object of this invention is to permit two eants of equal or unequal thickness to be run through a gang of saws at the same time, both under action of the same pressure mechanism. For this purpose two separate pressure-rolls are employed, each carried by a threaded rod or screw running through a nut, the two nuts being carried at opposite ends of an equalizing-beam, and each screw rotated by means of a pinion having'a stud or feather extending' into a longitudinal groove in the screw-stem. The nuts are connected with the ends of the beam by slotted links, and are pressed downward by springs encircling the screw-rods and bearing at their upper ends against blocks or collars, also connected by links to the ends of the beam. Each screw-stem carries at its lower end a frame provided with a pressure-roller, said frames being arranged to slide independently in a main sliding frame extending across the front of the gang-frame, and provided with a stop which prevents it from falling below a certain position relatively to the higher of the two roller-frames. This construction permits Yone roller to rise and the other to fall, as may be. necessary, in order to bring them to proper heights to bear upon the two cants equally when the latter are of different heights or thicknesses, the equalizing-beam tipping upon its pivot to produce the rise and fall mentioned, and the springs affording an elastic or yielding l pressure to allow for any unevenness in the face of the cant. This construction and arrangement will be more readily understood upon referring to the drawings, in which A represents the gang-frame, of ordinary form, carrying at its topV suitable beams, B B, to support the pressure-roll mechanism, which is applied in like form to the front and rear of the frame, so as to press down the cant as it comes to the gang and the boards or planks as they pass therefrom.

C C indicate guides, rigidly secured to frame A at front and rear, and serving to support a vertically-sliding frame, D, which in turn is divided into two parts and formed with ways to receive and guide frames E F, carrying pressure-rolls G and The frame D is provided with a cap-plate, a, which projects over the slots or ways in which frames E F slide, so that the frame D can fall only so low as to bring said plate a into contact with the higher ofthe two frames E F, with which it will rise or fall. Eachframe E and F is furnished with an upright threaded rod or screw, I, formed with a longitudinal slot or groove, b, and passing upward through beam B, and through a bevel-pinion, J, resting thereon and providedi with a stud or feather, c, to enter the groove or slot b of the screw, so that the pinion may impart rotary motion to the screw, and yet permit the latter to rise and fall, passing freely through the pinion in so doing.

Above the pinion J of each screw-stem is a nut, K, hung by slotted links d from opposite ends of an equalizing-beam, L, pivoted in a standard. M, midway between lthe two screws. A short distance above each nut, and encircling each serewu'od,v is a collar or block, connected by links e to the ends of the beam L, and between each nut and the collar above it is placed a spring, f, which serves to press down the screw-stem and through itthe pressure-roll upon the cant or log. In case of any unevenness or irregularity being met with,

.-however, the spring yields and permits the screw and its nut to rise, thus permitting the pressure-roller to pass over the obstruction or rough place. The springs thus permita limited amount of play and secure an elastic action of each pressure-roll independently of roo the other, the slotted links d permitting` the rise and fall ofthe screw-rod and nut without affecting the equalizing-beam.

The pinions .I .I are caused to rotate in unison by means of bevel-pinions g r/ at opposite ends of a shaft, O, the drawings representing` the two screw-rods I I as being respectively right and left hand screws, and the pinions being arranged, as shown, to rotate the screws in reverse directions. This is not essential, however, as the gearing may obviously be arranged to rotate both screws in the same direction, in which ease the direction ot' the threads should be the same in both. Motion is imparted to one ofthe pinions J,both at the front and at the back of the machine, by two pinions, I, respectively secured upon independent sections of a divided shaft, Q, which sections are respectively furnished with pinions or friction-wheels R and S, and each adapt-ed to move in a horizontal plane about one of the screw-rods I as a center, the moving end of each section being carried by a sliding bar, T, moving in guides 71, as in I `ig 3.

' The two sliding bars T are connected by links or bars i with hand-levers U, whereby either section may be moved at will.

V and \V represent two similar pinions or friction wheels, secured upon a shaft, X, mountedin suitablebearin gs on the top of frame A, said pinions being arranged face to face on opposite sides of and between the pinions l- S, as shown in Fig. 3, and at such distance apart that the pinions l S may be moved a short distance back and forth between them, sufficient to disengage them vfrom one and engage them with the other ofthe pinions`\'\\". The pinions V being iixed upon the shaft X, ot' course turn in the same direction, but, being on opposite sides of the pinions It S, are caused to engage with one or the other of the pinions Y \V. Both pinions R S being ca` pabie of independent control` they may both be caused to mesh with the pinion V, or both with the pinion XV, or one with each, and in this way the screw -rods I may be caused, through the actionof theintermediate connections, to either rise or fall, all in unison; or the pair at the front maybemadeto risc while those at the back fall, and vice versa. In this way a perfect adjustment of all the pressure rolls may be secured, and any or all of them may be raised or lowered at will.

It is ofcourse understood that there are two of the pressure-rolls at the front and two at the back of the machine.

The springs f, although advisably used, are not essential to the operation ot' the improvements set forth, and maybe omitted, in which case the links d would not be slotted.

The usual feed-rolls,Y, and operating mechanism therefor are employed.

I do not claim, broadly, two independent pressure-rolls adapted and arranged to simultaneously act upon cants or logs of unequal thickness, being aware that this is old g but I am not aware that any one has before placed the two rolls, each capable of adjusting itself to its log or cant, under cont-rol of one andthe same lever. This is of great importance, as it enables the attendant to reglllate the feed wit-h one hand and the press-rolls with the other simultaneously.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isd l. In a gang-saw mill, the combination of a main frame provided with guides (j, a sliding frame, l), mounted in said guides, pressurerolls G Il', mounted in frames Il Ii, arranged to slide independently in frame I), means,sub stantially such as shown and described, for raising and lowering frames Il F, and capplate (l, over-hanging the proximate ends ot' frames E F, and secured to fl'ame D, whereby said framel) is sustained by the uppermost of the frames Il If.

2. The combination, in a gang-saw mill,of a main frame, vertically-moving frames E F, provided with independent pressure-rolls G II, serewrods I I for raising and lowering the pressure-roll frames, nuts K K, encircling the screw-rods, and springs above the nuts, adapted to hold said nuts normally in a fixed position, but to yield and allow the nuts and screw-rods to rise when the pressure-rolls are raised, substantially as set forth.

3. In a gang-saw mill, the combination of a main frame, two vertical screw-rods carryingl independent pressure-rolls to bear upon the cants or logs, an equalizing-beam pivoted between said rods, collars attached to the arms of said beam and passing round the rods, nuts encircling the rods and connected to opposite ends of the equalizing-beam by slotted links, and springs interposedbetween the eollars and the nuts,all substailtially as shown and described, whereby the screw-rods are permit.- ted to rise and fall through their rotation within the nuts, to simultaneously adjust themselves and their rollers to logs or cants of unequal thickness through the tipping of the equalizing-beam, and to independently rise and fall in passing over the irregularities of the said cants or logs.

4. In a gang-saw mill, the combination of two vertical screw-rods, I I, carrying independent pressure-rolls, and with means, substantially such as described and shown, for rotating them, equalizing-beam L, pivoted bctween said rods, collars N N, carried by opposite ends of said beam, nuts K K, connected with the beam on opposite sides of its pivot by slotted links d d, and encircling the screw-rods, and springs f f, interposed between the collars and nuts, for the purpose explained.

5. In a gang-saw mill, the combination of a main frame, a vertical longitudinally-grOoVed screw-rod, I, carrying a pressure-roll, pinion J, encircling said rod and having a lug fitting into its groove, driving-shaft X, provided with wheels V IV, and swinging shaft Q, provided IOO at opposite ends with pinions or wheels I? and R, the former in constant engagement with pinion J and the latter adapted to be thrown into engagement with either of the wheels V W, to effect theraising or lowering of the screw-rod and its roll.

6. In a saw-mill substantially such asdescribed, the combination of a shaft, X, carrying wheels V WV, screw-rod I, carrying a pressure-roll, pinion or friction wheel J, adapted to impart rotation to the rod, and shaft Q, provided with pinions or frictionwheels P R, the latter arranged, substantially as shown and described, to be thrown into engagement with either of the pinions or wheels V W, whereby the screw-rods may be caused to turn in either direction at will, and to elevate or depress the pressure-roll.

7. In combination with pressure-rolls G I-I and their carrying-frames E F, supporting screw-rods I I, nuts K K, and equalizing-beam L, carrying said nuts at opposite ends, substantially as and for the purpose explained.

8. The combination, substantially as shown and described, ofvertical screw-rods I I, carrying independent pressure-rolls, and wheels J J, at front and rear of the frame, adapted to rotate said rods, divided shaft Q, wheels P I), R, and S, shaft X, provided with wheels V and W, and means, substantially such as shown and described, for moving the sections of shaft Q,

whereby either the front or rear set of pressure-rolls may be controlled and made to rise or fall at will.

9. In combination with screw-rods I I, carrying pressure-rolls G H, nuts K K, encircling the rods, and wheels J J, at front and rear of frame A, serving to rotate the screw rods, shaft X, carrying wheelsV V, divided shaft Q, having its two sections arranged, substantially as shown and described, to swing about the respective screw-rods I, and provided at their inner and outer ends with wheels to engage, respectively, with wheels J J, V, and V, and the levers U U, connected with the respective sections of shaft Q, substantially as and for` the purpose explained.

10. In a saw-mill, the combination of/two independent pressure-rolls adapted to act simultaneously upon cants or logs of unequal thickness, carrying-frames for said rolls, an intermediate equalizing-bar, and elastic or yielding connections, substantially as described, between the equalizingbar and the carrying-frames, whereby the rolls are permitted to yield independently and without movement ofthe equalizing-bar in passing over uneven places.

THEODORE S. IVILKIN.

IVitiiesses:

WM. W. Arms, FRANK A. HALL. 

